Society of Toxicology brings its annual
meeting to Utah and promises a plethora of offerings

SALT LAKE CITY—The 49th Annual Meeting and ToxExpo of the Society of Toxicology (SOT) is shaping up to not just be
"the largest exposition of its kind," SOT organizers say, but also one packed with numerous opportunities to connect and learn.

"We
're excited about Salt Lake City. The scientific program is particularly strong this year and it is our annual opportunity to showcase toxicology's novel
discoveries and the work we've done over the past year," says Michael Holsapple, SOT's vice president and scientific program committee chairperson for the
event, which is being held March 7 to 11 at Salt Lake City's Salt Palace Convention Center.

"It's been my experience that toxicologists
come first and foremost for the science and secondarily for the opportunity to interact with their colleagues from around the globe," says Shawn Douglas
Lamb, SOT's executive director. "This is the No. 1 meeting of the year for toxicologists. It is a time when they can come together and hear what is new and
what advances are being made in a multitude of areas. They have a chance to hear from Nobel Laureates, who give the keynote plenary lectures and other
internationally acclaimed scientists in sessions such as the Opening Plenary and the Medical Research Council Lectures. The meeting also features an awards
program, which attracts a lot of attention and interest."

More than a dozen symposium sessions are planned, plus another 12 topics to be
handled as part of SOT's thematic tracks, with those additional offerings covering five areas: cell signaling, gene-environment interactions, metabolic
disease, the mitochondrial basis of disease and translational toxicology. In addition, nearly a dozen workshop sessions on various topics are on the agenda,
plus another 10 thematic-track workshops in the areas of cell signaling, toxicity testing in the 21st century, and translational toxicology.
Eight
roundtable sessions are also planned, plus two additional ones in the thematic track of translational toxicology, and a Historical Highlights session in the
translational toxicology thematic track.

"In addition to the scientific program, the 2010 SOT Annual Meeting will afford every attendee the
opportunity to come together to learn about the latest scientific achievements from experts in a myriad of fields," notes Dr. Cheryl Walker, the current SOT
president. She adds that this year's Plenary Lecture will be given by Dr. Ferid Murad, who was one of three recipients to receive the 1998 Nobel Prize in
Physiology or Medicine. Dr. Murad's lecture will focus on that work and is entitled, "Discovery of Nitric Oxide and Cyclic GMP Cell Signaling and their
Role in Drug Development."

In addition, the 2010 Keynote Medical Research Council Lecture will be given by Sir Philip Cohen, and the
title of his lecture is "The Interplay between Phosphorylation and Ubiquitination in Regulating the Innate Immune System."

"Toxicology is a diverse scientific discipline that integrates expertise from many fields including chemistry, microbiology, molecular biology,
pathology, pharmacy and veterinarian sciences just to name a few," Holsapple says. "We want to bring the latest and best research to SOT's Annual
Meetings."

Currently, the SOT anticipates more than 350 exhibits; over 185 scientific sessions, featured sessions or lectures; and
more than 200 annual meeting events, including exhibitor-hosted sessions, social meetings and receptions, and special programs.
Holsapple reports
that more than 2,000 scientific papers or abstracts were submitted and reviewed by the Scientific Program Committee, in addition to the more than 330 invited
speaker presentations that had been programmed.

The event typically draws more than 6,500 toxicologists from around the world, and although
the SOT didn't offer specific registration numbers as of mid-January, when interviewed by ddn magazine, things are apparently on track. As Lamb notes:
"Registration is strong and we have more than 53 new exhibitors who are going to participate this year," adding that this is "extraordinary given the
state of the economy."

"We worked very hard to obtain the lowest and best rates we could for hotel and airfare," Lamb says. "We
anticipated that registration might be down, but are extremely pleased because registration is running consistent with previous years. Given the challenges
of the worldwide economic climate, our primary goal for ToxExpo this year is to maintain a dynamic exposition that continues to showcase the latest
developments in technology and services for the toxicologist. We have already surpassed that goal in that we have not only maintained the exciting dynamics
of the show but have a record 53 first-time exhibitors; we are ahead of our projections in booth sales."

Students to mix it up and listen up

The Society of Toxicology (SOT) will be hosting its Student/Postdoctoral
Fellow Mixer on March 7, the first day of its 49th Annual Meeting and ToxExpo in Salt Lake City, Utah. Scheduled for 7:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., and sponsored by
the SOT's Student Advisory Council, this is an opportunity for students and postdoctoral fellows to gather, to meet new colleagues and to reestablish
relationships in an informal atmosphere at the beginning of the meeting.

Tickets are required, but are obtainable at no cost by registering
for this event on the Annual Meeting Registration Form. Complimentary refreshments and a cash bar will be available.

The next day, from noon
to 1:20 p.m., SOT will also offer the "In Vitro Toxicology Lecture and Luncheon for Students." Sponsored by Colgate-Palmolive Co, the purpose of this
lecture is to discuss the importance of animal research to biomedical sciences and toxicology and the ethical obligations of the scientific community to
follow the three R's of animal testing (refine, reduce, replace) whenever feasible.

Follow the MAP

Sponsored
by SOT's Student Advisory Council and Postdoctoral Assembly, a session titled "MAP Kinase Signaling: A Common Target Eliciting Unique Tissue Responses"
takes place on March 9, from 9 a.m. to 11:45 a.m., and will highlight the most recent research progress made to characterize the alterations of MAPK
signaling pathways in response to toxicant exposures, and how these alterations contribute to toxicity and/or pathogenesis in different tissues and cell
types. The qualitative comparison among data presented in this session will either suggest a paradigm of MAPK response to various toxicants, or illustrate
the cell type/tissue specific difference in the role of MAPK signaling alterations during toxic responses.

Working it
out

SOT's Postdoctoral Assembly is hosting a session on March 9 called "Where Do I Go Now? Rational Career Development Planning for
Early-Career Scientists" from 9 a.m. to 11:45 p.m. that will provide early-career scientists with insight on how to map a career path that fits their
passion and skills. Broad coverage in non-traditional career paths in toxicology will be part of the discussion. As SOT notes, "Toxicology training during
graduate school and postdoctoral fellowships provides early-career scientists with a wide array of transferable skills that can be used in many job sectors,
but navigating the all of the possible career options can be a daunting task. Additionally, finding and preparing for a career path that is right for
yourself is not always easy, particularly when it differs from that of your mentor or is non-traditional."

Exhibiting at the 2010 ToxExpo

From services to products, you'll find a wide range of offerings at the show.

Gateway Mall
In addition to the various shopping options, the mall also includes the Discovery Gateway children's museum, with 60,000 square feet of
interactive fun.

Historic Temple Square
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints invites people to visit Temple Square and other attractions and events
offered in and around the square.

Hope Gallery and Museum of Fine Art
The largest gallery in Utah features a distinct collection of Old European masters from the
sixteenth to twenty first centuries, with works emphasizing La Belle Epoch, and the largest collection of original Danish works outside the national museums
in Denmark.

Elsewhere in the city

Chase Home Museum of Utah Folk Arts
Offers a unique view of contemporary Utah
through the traditional arts of Indian tribes, occupational and ethnic groups, and Utahns of rural heritage.

Hogle Zoo
Features include family safaris, Elephant Encounter and
Asian Highlands in addition to the usual assortment of zoo animals.

Here are a few cultural or entertainment events being held around the
same time as the SOT conference:

Snowflake Festival 2010
Mar. 10-13
A four-day event held every March,
celebrating community and snow in the town of Alta, Utah

Twi-Lite - I was a Teenage Vampire
Through Mar. 13
Performed at the Desert Star Playhouse in Murray,
Utah, this show is about high school geek Seth, who has a crush on cheerleader Chelsea Chambers. Since she doesn't know he exists, but she is head-over-
heels for a popular fictional vampire, Seth pretends he's a vampire to attract Chelsea. Soon all the girls at school have a crush on him. But what will he
do when a real vampire shows up, challenging Seth to a showdown?

Wicked Wizard of Ahhs
Through Mar. 13
Being held at Salt Lake
City's comedy and improv venue The Off
Broadway, this parody of The Wizard of Oz has an evil twist, with Crunchkin gangs, Wicked teachers, and The Evil Belva Bub who's after Dorrie's new
sparkly red shoes.

Utah Museum of Fine Arts
Ongoing through summer
Two of the long-running 2010 exhibitions at this Salt Lake City Museum that will have
only been running a month or two by the time the SOT show starts are "Continuing Allure - Utah's Red Rock" and "Pablo O'Higgins and the Mexican Muralist
Movement."